Fish Replicas
Fish replicas are normally made from fiberglass and carefully painted to look like the species in question. There are primarily two different types of fish replicas, the full replica, or full fish mount as it is also called, and the half replica or half mount. The full fish replica that recreates the entire fish is the most common of the two types. This type of replica displays both sides of a fish. A half mount or half replica only shows one side of the fish and is flat on the other side. This type of replica is often fitted with a hook directly in the fiberglass and is made to be attached to a plaque or to hang directly on the wall. Half replicas are cheaper to buy than full replicas and might be a good option if you only need to see one side of the fish.
If you consider getting a fish replica you can either get a ready made replica or a custom made one. Ready made fish replicas are produced in large quantities to mimic a fish of a certain species and size. If you order one of these you can choose to get one of the same size and species as the fish you caught, but it will not be a replica of your individual fish – just a replica of a typical fish of that size and species (and sometimes sex). It can look very similar to your fish or quite different depending on whether or nor the fish species in questions displays big geographical and/or individual differences. The benefit of these fish replicas are that they can be shipped on very short notice and that they are cheaper than custom work. They are also great for museums, schools and sea food restaurants who do not need the fish on display to be an exact copy of a certain individual fish.
Your other option is to get a custom made fish replica. In this case a mold is created to resemble your specific fish. Special care is taken to reproduce the texture, scales and fins of your fish. This is a difficult task and only a skilled fish taxidermist will provide high quality work. If the person who makes the mold and works on the fiberglass fish isn't skilled it will be hard to get a life-like fish no matter how skilled the painter is. The fins are usually created separately from the the body and attached to the replica at a later stage. The mouth and teeth are usually also fitted at a later stage. When the body and fins have been crafted to perfection, is it time to paint the fish replica. The fish will first get several layers of basic paint to give the body a base tone. The body will then be painstakingly painted to duplicate every shimmer, pattern and dot on your fish. Once the painting is done, most fish taxidermist add a layer of protective polyurethane clear coat or similar to protect the fish replica and keep it from aging.
A well made fish replica by a skilled artist can look almost identical to the original fish and can give a better result than stuffing the skin of the actual fish ever would.